This invention relates to a system for repairing leaking pipelines and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method of repairing buried leaking pipelines.
Oil and gas pipes are prone to leakage caused by damage or deterioration over time. Public safety requires that a leaking pipeline be expeditiously repaired. In the case of oil and gas carrying pipelines, the repairs should be performed with all possible haste to minimize damage to property and environment.
When the leak in the pipe is readily accessible, repairing the leak is fairly straightforward. However, when the leaking pipe is buried in a trench filled with water or is otherwise not readily accessible, it is frequently difficult not only to locate the leak, but to repair the pipe and seal off the leak. According to the federal regulations, an oil or gas pipe must be buried in a trench nine feet below the surface. With time, water, silt and soil fill the trench and cover the pipeline, as a result of which it becomes more difficult to access the pipeline. When the damaged portion of the pipeline is under water the repair process becomes considerably more complicated and expensive. It is much more preferable to expose the damaged portion by lifting it from the trench. The lifting of the pipe must be performed in a manner that will not cause further damage to the pipe.
The present invention addresses the difficulties encountered in the prior art by providing a system for raising a portion of the buried pipeline where the leak is suspected in a manner that does not result in an imposition of undue stresses on the pipeline that could break the pipeline and allow escape of hazardous substances from the pipe. The damaged portion of the pipeline is gradually lifted to become exposed above water and to allow repair of the pipeline using conventional methods.